A broken lift at a Haggerston block has left residents "stressed" and "frustrated" with some unable to live in their homes for two months.

Disabled tenant Panayiota Jones, 51, is one of three residents who has been decanted and placed in temporary accommodation such as a hotel or the house of a relative.

Ms Jones, who's rheumatoid arthritis means she is unable to walk up and down the 60 steps to her fourth floor apartment, has been staying with her mother.

She has not been able to live in her apartment since July 8.

Ms Jones called her housing association Clarion Housing "incompetent", adding: "Clarion have let us tenants down, me especially, being disabled. I want to come home, back to my comforts and my bedroom."

The problems with the lift began last year in March. Contractors have had difficulty accessing its maintenance room which is located within another tenant's property.

Hackney Gazette: Ms Jones is one of three residents who has been decanted due to the broken lift.Ms Jones is one of three residents who has been decanted due to the broken lift. (Image: Panayiota Jones)

So Ms Jones, who has lived at the block on Enfield Road since 1995, applied for a transfer worried the problems with the lift may reoccur over time.

However, Clarion initially rejected her application stating in a letter that its policy did not consider tenants moving on medical grounds.

The letter, sent on July 28, stated a management transfer would only be considered "in a small number of instances", where a tenant is experiencing "serious antisocial behaviour" putting them or household members lives at risk with the sense of threat having to be confirmed by police in writing.

In response to the rejection Ms Jones appealed the decision, adding: "It's just causing me a a lot of stress now."

A Clarion Housing spokesperson said: "We share their frustrations and have been doing all we can to resolve the issues inhibiting us from bringing the lift back into use. We are currently pursuing court action to enable us to carry out the work we have been prevented from doing.

"We have been working closely with residents affected and keeping them regularly updated on progress. In recognition of the continued disruption, we will be working with Ms Jones to find a suitable home for her move to permanently."

The spokesperson said work on the lift is dependent on court action which has been adjourned. If granted work to fix the lift should take around three days.